ACLU of New Jersey: 50 years of defending rights on left and right

Star-Ledger File PhotoJon Holden and Michael Galluccio with their adopted son Adam at a 1997 press conference where an agreement between attorneys of the ACLU and the state of New Jersey was announced. The agreement allows lesbian and gay couples to adopt children on equal footing with married couples.

For 50 years, the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has defended rights that many take for granted — or that some would withhold from others.

The ACLU has taken a purist view of the U.S. Constitution: It applies to every American regardless of race, faith, gender or sexual orientation. As might be expected, controversy has never been far behind.

Most people recall the ACLU defending the free speech of American Nazis, or fighting to keep religious displays off government property. But more than a decade ago, the ACLU successfully defended the right of two North Haledon men to formally adopt a baby they had raised for months. And more recently, it defended a Bridgeton high school student’s right to wear a red armband with the word “Life” on it, reflecting her anti-abortion views.

The ACLU fought vigorously against racial profiling on our highways. The organization has also fought for open meetings and access to public records, most recently bringing suit against the West Orange Open Space and Recreation Committee, which kept the public from attending a meeting in March.

By taking up these important and sometimes unpopular causes, the ACLU of New Jersey exemplifies what fighting the good fight is all about.